After "Rise of the Guardians" underperformed at the box office upon its debut last month, one has to think the makers of the animated flight of fancy -- based on characters created by Shreveport-based author and animator William Joyce -- could use a little good news right about now. Well, here it is: The holiday-centric film has snagged a field-leading 10 Annie Award nominations, including best picture.

That ties it with Disney/Pixar's "Brave" and Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph," both of which also earned 10 nominations from the Annies, which annually recognize the best animated films and television projects of the year. Both "Brave" and "Wreck-It Ralph" will compete with "Rise of the Guardians" in the best picture category, along with Disney's "Frankenweenie," Aardman Animation's "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" and the out-of-nowhere "The Rabbi's Cat," from GKIDS.

All in all, it was a huge day for Disney, which earned a total of 39 nominations from its various in-house animation branches, including Pixar. The House of Mouse also earned a nod in the best animated short category, for its charming "Paperman," which screened before showings of "Wreck-It Ralph."